Life and Love
by Estrelle Buscador
Summary: Helga and Arnold are married and have a baby, making them more busy than ever. But as Valentine's Day approaches, they find not only enough time to share their love with each other, but also to help others find theirs. Valentine's Day story.
1. At the End of the Day

Greetings Readers! This is just a short little story for Valentine's Day - I'm hoping to have it finished by then. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold! or any of its characters.

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"I'm home!" Arnold called as he closed the front door behind him, and instantly had to keep himself from laughing at the completely clichéd line. But it had seemed a completely rational thing to say, he rationalized to himself as he dropped his briefcase at the bureau by the door and hung his suit jacket on the hall closet. It had been an interesting but long day at the clinic where he worked as a psychiatrist and he wanted nothing more than to sit back and spend some time with his wife. Luckily, he hadn't run into any of the boarders on his way up to their rooms, and so was able to get there quickly without stopping to talk or offer advice or break up an argument. Maybe it was selfish of him, but after a long day of helping people, he wanted to be helped himself. He wanted to be with Helga…

Arnold frowned thoughtfully in the doorway of the front room when Helga didn't come to greet him or call to him in greeting. That wasn't like Helga – even when writer's block had struck particularly hard and her day had been frustrating, she'd always been eager to see him. He was close to getting worried when he heard a hum of faint music down the hall and followed it to the small room between their bedroom and the kitchen. He pushed the door open to see the source of the music, and his heart nearly melted at the sight.

Maybe it was a little old-fashioned of him, but seeing his wife holding their sleeping baby girl always made his heart swell and give him a feeling of completeness that was rivaled only by the feeling of completeness he felt with his wife. No longer interested in getting Helga's attention, he walked up silently behind the chair where Helga was gently rocking their daughter and crooning a quiet lullaby. To him, the scene looked a little like the Madonna-and-child paintings done by the Masters – Helga looked tired but somehow radiant as she bent her golden head to the baby, who was nestled snugly against her chest

Arnold slowly, so as not to wake up the baby, wrapped his arms around Helga's shoulders and kissed her hair. "Hey, honey."

"Shh," Helga said wearily, "I just got her off to sleep –"

The baby's eyes opened sleepily and saw her father. Her eyes widened excitedly and she became wide awake, babbling enthusiastically and reaching out for her daddy. Helga groaned and shook her head. "Football Head…" she said warningly, "it took me almost an hour to get her settled down enough to take a nap and you choose now to come in."

Arnold winced, "Sorry, Helga."

Helga turned and there was a tired but amused look on her face. "It's okay, Arnold," she reassured him, "It was probably too early for her to sleep anyway if we wanted to have her sleep most of the night. And who can blame her for getting excited when you come home?" She kissed Arnold's lips as he leaned his head on her shoulder. "However," she stood up quickly, nearly hitting him in the face with her shoulder, "you get to hold her while I start on the dinner I should have done hours ago, if it weren't for this one." She playfully tweaked the baby's nose before handing her to Arnold.

"No problem," Arnold cradled the infant tenderly in his arms and sat back in the rocking chair as Helga went out the door and into the kitchen. "Hey there, sweetheart," he said quietly to the little girl who giggled and began playing with the tie around his neck.

Stella, whom they had named after Arnold's mother, was the most beautiful girl that he had ever seen – "except for your mother," he joked to the little girl, "but you're a close second." Her short blonde hair was smooth and silky at the top of her head, her mouth was teased in an almost perceptual smile, and he got lost every time he looked into her dark blue eyes. He was at a very real risk of being wrapped around her little finger, but he could only hope she would use that power for good.

Arnold stood up and ticked her stomach as he walked out to join Helga. Stella cooed and grabbed at his fingers, curling his little fists around them. He laughed at the strength and mentioned casually to Helga, "Your daughter's got your grip, you realize that?"

Helga rolled her eyes from her place at the stove. "I'm here most of the time – of course I do. Whoa," she held up a hand to stop Arnold from approaching, "no closer, Football Head, I don't want the baby to get burned." She turned back to the pot on the stove and continued stirring, "I'm worried about her, though – what if she gets my tendency to get into fights, too?"

Arnold sat down at the kitchen table and began playing a clapping game with Stella. "We'll just have to keep after her if she tries to pick fights. Besides," he smirked appreciatively after her, "I can think of worse things than her being like her mother."

Helga laughed, "Oh, shut it, you smooth-talker."

"When's Grandma coming over?"

"Um," Helga glanced at the clock above the refrigerator. "About half an hour, she wanted to go ahead and make dinner for everybody before she had it with us."

Arnold's eyes saddened slightly as he asked. "How is she doing?"

"She's doing okay; misses Grandpa a lot but that makes sense, right?" Helga scowled pensively and crossed her arms. "I should have been more pushy about me cooking dinner for the boarders – she deserves a break."

Arnold and Helga had been living in a small apartment in Hillwood after their marriage but had moved into the boarding house to help Grandma out after Grandpa had died. Grandpa had been as energetic and lively to the last, actually bragging to everyone that he'd managed to beat the family curse by two days. He'd left smiling, but he'd left behind a grieving family. Both Arnold and Helga had convinced Grandma to let them move in and help her out; Arnold would do the house repairs and keep up with the rent when he was off from work, and Helga would help cook and clean while she was busy working on her second book. Of course, Grandma couldn't refuse when they said that the boarding house would be a great place for their daughter to grow up."

Arnold grinned over at his wife reassuringly. "She likes cooking occasionally, and besides she knows you're been busy with Stella. I wouldn't worry too much." He looked down at Stella and smiled. "Looks like somebody's ready for a nap."

Helga turned and saw that Stella was sleeping peacefully in Arnold's arms. She turned the heat down on the stove and walked over to her family, crossing her arms. "Typical. I spend all day long with you, and you fall asleep in minutes for your daddy." She threaded her fingers through her baby's bangs. "You're breaking my heart, kid."

"Should we put her in the crib?" Arnold asked.

"I think so," Helga replied. "Hold on there, Football Head," she continued, holding her had to keep him sitting down, "I'll get her. You take a load off – you've had a busy day, too." Gently cradling the infant in her arms, she walked into the baby's room and laid her down in the crib, folding the blankets comfortably around her. "Sleep tight," she whispered, and shut the door behind her.

Grandma was sitting at the table when Helga came out, cackling about some reminiscence with Arnold – Helga heard something about Mayan rainforests and bulldozers and laughed. It had taken a while to get Gertie's face to smile and her eyes to sparkle with humor and mischief once more after Phil had died, but she'd done it and it made the boarders and her family very glad to see it.

Grandma occasionally came over to eat dinner with just her family, but tonight her grandson had a special reason for inviting her. They had finished swabbing the remaining soup with their bread when Arnold and Helga exchanged looks across the table and Arnold scooted closer to his grandmother. "Grandma, Helga and I have something we want to give you."

Gertrude's eyes lit up and she placed her hands eagerly on the table. "A riding lawn mower?"

Arnold laughed. "No, Grandma – not after you tried to raid that demolition company that was after Mighty Pete again? You tried to mow down their doors with a lawn mower."

Gertrude cackled, "So?"

"You succeeded," Helga grinned, "and that was with a push mower. I shudder to think of what you could do with a riding mower." She stopped and tilted her head in thought, "Actually, that's not a half-bad idea. Arnold, couldn't we –"

"No."

"Oh, come on, Kimba!" Grandma said, "It's a good cause."

"I agree, but I don't want to have to bail you out again." Grandma laughed appreciatively at that, and Arnold continued, "No, it's not a mower, but hopefully this'll be just as good." He pulled a square envelope out of his pocket and handed it to her.

Grandma gave him a questioning look as she took the envelope and tore the top open. She shook the envelope and two pieces of glossy paper fell out. Picking up the larger piece of paper and unfolding it, Gertrude's eyes widened as she read the large print. "A cruise brochure? What is this for?"

Arnold moved closer to his grandmother. "It's a cruise to Alaska – Helga and I got it for you as a Valentine's Day present."

Gertrude's eyes saddened a bit as she held the paper – it was probably the mention of Valentines' Day that did that, as it was the first time she'd be celebrating it without Phil. He'd always gotten joy from coming up, with different surprises for her on that day. "Arnold…I don't know…"

"Would it help if we added that Grandpa helped us, too?" Arnold asked, "And that he suggested the cruise?"

Now, the last sentence wasn't entirely accurate. When Grandpa had revealed the nest egg he had saved for Grandma, he'd just told them to "buy Pookie something that'll make her smile – but no fireworks. Last time I gave her those she lit up the place like a giant Roman candle!" Upon which, he'd slapped his knee and cackled loudly.

"He did?" Grandma fingered the corners of the ticket, "That Slim…"

"Aunt Mitzi's going, too," Helga added, "and she'll be meeting us at the ship when it leaves in two days." She picked up the brochure and perused it. "Looks like you'll be near Worthington Glacier on Valentine's Day."

"Glaciers?" Grandma rubbed her hands together, "Excellent! I've never rappelled down a glacier before."

Arnold's eyes widened. "And you're not doing that now."

"Oh, come on, Kimba – where's you sense of adventure?"

Arnold spent a good half-hour trying to talk his grandmother out of climbing dangerous glaciers, but it didn't seem to sink in as she left the room, cheerfully talking about how she had to hunt down grappling hooks for her and Mitzi. Helga laughed at Arnold's face which looked torn between amusement and concern as he sat down next to her on the living room couch and handed her a mug of coffee.

"Lila and Brainy should be here in a few days," Helga said, sipping her coffee.

Arnold took a fortifying gulp and sighed appreciatively. "That's good – it's been a while since we've seen them. We hearing wedding bells yet?"

"No," Helga groaned, propping her feet up on the coffee table, "it's driving me and Phoebe crazy."

It was ironic, considering their relationships when they were at P.S. 118, but Brainy and Lila had become two of Helga's closest friends. She had seen Brainy simply as a benevolent kind of stalker up into their first year of high school. He had come to her defense against an upperclassman who'd been harassing her, and even though he had been pummeled to the ground in the attempt, Helga had been very grateful. She'd invited him to eat lunch with her and Phoebe, and that lunch had stretched into many others and a friendship. With the confidence born of that friendship, Brainy had become an outgoing, friendly young man who was enjoyable to be around despite his penchant for bad puns. Helga had found it easy to warm up to Lila once the girl had made it clear that she had no romantic interest in her. Brainy and Lila had struck up a friendship and after a few years, everyone but them had seen that they had fallen for each other. It hadn't been until they had graduated from college that the two had confessed to each other, with some aggressive prodding from Helga and Phoebe.

What Helga and Arnold didn't know was that Brainy had held a long-standing crush on Helga, or that Lila had been the only one who had ever figured that fact out. The rapport that had been built between the two once Lila had told Brainy she'd known about his crush and offered an ear when he needed to vent had strengthened into a close friendship and eventually blossomed into love. The two had been dating for a little over a year, and lived in the same town about an hour from Hillwood.

"It'll come in time," Arnold said, propping his feet up on the table and rubbing the top of her leg with one hand while holding his coffee in the other. He put the coffee down and rubbed her shoulders. "How was today?"

Helga sighed contentedly at the massaging fingers and pillowed her head on his shoulder. "Busy. Stella's really moving now and I needed to chase her a lot – but I did finish a chapter and I was able to edit half of that last one. You?"

Arnold shrugged. "Interesting diagnoses, but no new patients. I was definitely ready to come home and see you." Seeing that her eyes were drooping shut sleepily, he took the cup from her and placed it on the table. "Want to do anything?" he asked, brushing a kiss against her cheek. "Watch a movie?"

Helga shook her head. "No, sorry."

"Want to put on some jazz and dance?"

Helga yawned and closed her eyes, leaning her head against the back of the couch, "Sorry, Arnold, I'm just too tired to do anything."

"Really?" Arnold asked, arching an eyebrow. He kissed her temple and continued, in a husky voice, "That's a shame," he kissed her cheek, "because I was hoping to do," he kissed the bridge of her nose, "something tonight." Helga opened her eyes only to shut them again as Arnold caught her lips with his in a deep, passionate kiss. She was about to wrap her arms about his neck and pull him closer when he pulled away. He jumped off the couch and began walking nonchalantly to their bedroom, saying in a perfectly normal voice, "But since you're tired, we can always do that later. My pajamas are in the top drawer, right?"

Helga tore after him, all drowsiness gone, and grabbed Arnold by the collar. "That is not even fair, Football Head. Come on!" And she yanked him into the bedroom and closed the door.

···

The healthy, sleepy wails pealed over the baby monitor on the table next to their bed, and Arnold groaned tiredly and rolled over to his side, looking at his wife. "Your turn," he mumbled sleepily.

Helga placed a pillow over her head, and Arnold had to lean in to hear her. "Eight hours of labor, Arnold. Trust me, it's your turn."

Arnold laughed, more awake. When Helga was tired, she liked to cite the hours of labor in an effort to guilt him into getting up. "If I knew you'd keep bringing that up, I would've taken some of the labor."

Helga pulled the pillow off her head and gave him a glare that would make most men's blood run cold with terror. Arnold just laughed and kissed her cheek. "I got her."

Arnold's weight left the bed and Helga slipped back into a haze of sleepiness. Half-listening, she heard the baby's cries become soft hiccups as a soothing, low voice spoke to the baby. The sounds became silence, and then footsteps were heard crossing into the bedroom and someone sat down on the bed. Helga opened her eyes to see Arnold smiling down at her, with Stella in his arms. "Someone wanted to see mama."

Helga sat against the headboard and reached out for the baby. "That's cheating, you know. You know I can't resist this face. Hey, sweetheart."

Arnold got into bed beside her and put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him. She smiled as the warmth of his chest seeped through her night gown and into her skin, and looked down at Stella. The baby, feeling content and comforted, was already slipping back into sleep. Holding Stella close to her, Helga looked up at Arnold and kissed him on the chin, and he wrapped both arms around both of them. They sat together like that for a long time until Helga began falling asleep against Arnold. He guided her back into lying down and made to take the baby back. Helga put a hand on his and said, "Why don't we leave her here with us?"

Arnold nodded, and lay down beside her, one arm cradling Stella the other around Helga. A contented smile spread across his face as he listened to Helga's breathing even out. He watched the two sleeping quietly for a while before falling asleep himself.

A miracle of love. His family.

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A/N: So that last line was probably incredibly sappy - I'm a sappy kind of person.

This story should be about three or four chapters in length, and I'll try to post the rest soon. Thanks for reading and please review!


	2. Snow and Secrets

Greetings Readers! Thanks to all those who have alerted and favorited this story, you are great!

A special thanks to those who've reviewed:  
**angie93:** I'm glad you like the sappiness! Thanks, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.  
**acosta perez jose ramiro:** Thanks very much - got to love his sense of humor!  
**loonytunecrazy:** He died as he lived, I guess. Merci, and hope you like this chapter!

Warning: Here can be found BrainyxLila pairings! I've used them in my other stories as well, and Brainy's personality traits are those that I've developed...so might be a bit out of character.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold! or any of its characters. Sigh.

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When Helga woke up, it was to a bedroom empty of any other people. Arnold and Stella were gone, but the blankets were folded snugly around her. She stretched her arms and legs, flexing her ankles and wrists luxuriously like a cat and sat up, rolling her shoulders. She wrapped a warm robe around herself and got up, walking around in search of the others. The rooms were far too quiet and Helga suspected the two had left, but she had no idea where they had gone. She was considering going downstairs and asking the boarders when she heard a strain of piano music just outside the window – and then she knew exactly where to go.

The wind was whistling around the corners of the roof as Helga walked out of the stairwell, her robe pulled tightly around her. A smile grew across her face as she saw Arnold and Stella next to the piano with Grandma, Grandma playing the piano with Stella perched in her lap.

"When life gets you down, wearing a frown, don't look away, look up!" Grandma sang.

"Cause memories true come out of the blue, you know the way, look up!" Arnold continued.

The music issued richly and smoothly from beneath Grandma's skilled fingers, but there were a few discordant notes scattered throughout the music. Helga walked silently over to them and had to bite back a laugh at Stella gurgling excitedly and hitting the piano keys at the right of the keyboard.

"That's the ticket!" Grandma smiled and stopped playing to pick up the infant, "You're a natural, little Kimba – if only your daddy had tried to pick up playing, too." She shot her grandson a pointed look.

Arnold held up his hands defensively. "Hey, hey. I've done good in school, I have a good job, I have gotten married and given you a great-grandchild. What more do you want from me?"

"Hey, you." Helga wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his neck, and Arnold turned around to kiss her lips.

"Good morning. Stella woke up nice and early, and when we heard Grandpa playing up here we decided to join her rather than wake you up." Arnold said, hugging her with one arm. "What do you want to do today?"

"Maybe just hang around the house?" Helga suggested, "The others will be here in a few days, and we probably need to clean and stuff. Besides," she fiddled with his shirt collar, "I'd like some alone time with you – and so would Stella."

"Not a bad idea," Arnold said, and as he leaned down to kiss his wife Gertrude cackled and covered their daughter's eyes with a hand –

"Oskar!" A very irritated voice cried out, "You have been in there, for almost forty minutes! I am going to be late, for my work at the restaurant."

"But the water was so cold," a petulant voice whined in response, "and it took so long."

"Can it, Koukashka, and get out!"

A loud rattling sounded, followed by a dismayed, "It won't open!"

"I'm gonna kill you, Koukashka!"

Arnold pulled back, laughing and sighing simultaneously. "I'd better go figure that mess out, I'll be back." And he began striding briskly toward the stairs and went back down into the building.

Helga plunked down on the piano bench, and shook her head. "I'm going to kill that Oskar." She reached out her arms. "Can I see her now, Grandma?"

Grandma handed the baby over and Helga hugged her tightly before bouncing her on her knees. "Good morning, baby. You must have gotten that early-morning gene from your father. You two are much too early for me." She turned to Grandma. "So, are you excited about the trip?"

"Yes," Grandma clapped her hands together, "It's a wonderful present – you guys came up with a great idea." She shot a knowing look at Helga. "Have you come up with what you want to get him?"

"No," Helga groaned, pulling Stella close, "Your grandson is impossible to get gifts for."

Grandma patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Eleanor – you'll come up with something." She thought a moment. "Speaking of which, have you come up with where Kimba's hidden my grappling hooks, have you?"

Helga laughed, "No!"

···

"She looks absolutely adorable!" Lila nearly squealed.

"And what a beautiful little smile," Phoebe added.

Helga grinned. "Sure, she looks cute now – but she was none too happy about me putting her into that suit."

All three women laughed, and the little girl who was sitting on the coffee table craned her neck to look at all three of them. Stella had been dressed in a thick pink snowsuit with a beanie that had a large pink pompom on top of it, warmly bundled up for the group's trip to the park and her sheer cuteness had proved distracting to the three women as their respective significant others watched on in confusion.

"You know," Brainy said, loud enough to be heard but not enough to be heard by the girls, "up until now, I couldn't figure out how the baby clothing industry was so successful. Now I know."

Gerald nodded. "No offense, Arnold – Stella is cute, but I don't know how they can squeal that much over her."

Arnold shrugged, "None taken – I can't figure it out, either." He raised his voice. "We'd better get going if we want a good parking spot."

After the standard passenger shuffling and debating over which cars to use, the group pulled into the parking lot of the park and walked in, pushing Stella ahead in the stroller. Snow lay thickly on the ground, and neighborhood kids were all over the place, building forts and snowman, having snowball fights, and making snow angels. The salt layered on the gravel path crunched beneath their feet and the stroller wheels. Gerald smirked at a group of boys playing football in the snow and scooped up a handful of snow form beside the path, packing it into a ball. He threw it and it hit one of the tallest boys in the back o the head. "Watch that arm, Peterson," Gerald yelled out, laughing, "how many times have I told you?" Gerald was working at the local high school as a history teacher and football coach, and was very well-liked by the boys on his team. Upon seeing htier coach packing more snowballs, the boys ran toward them shrieking out banshee yells and picking up their own snowballs. The men struck warrior poses and the women quickly ducked out of the way with Stella in tow.

They watched the barrage of flying snow and war cries with amusement and walked over to the swingsets. Phoebe brushed the snow from the baby swing and Helga put Stella in and began pushing her lazily back and forth. Lila brushed snow off an adjoining swing with her glove and sat down on it, one leg dangling and the other on the ground. "They never grow up, do they?"

"No," Phoebe giggled.

"But what's the fun of that?" Helga laughed. "Being a kid's a lot more fun."

Phoebe looked at her husband fondly before he was tackled by two of the boys. "But there are some good things about being adults, too." She leaned against the swingset and scooped up a handful of snow. "You have any special plans for Valentines' Day?"

Helga shook her head. "If we do, Arnold's not telling me. But you know how he is. How about you, Miss Perfect?"

Lila blushed. She was still shy about their relationship even though they'd been together for over a year, "I think we're just going to watch movies and spend time together. Brainy doesn't seem real sure about what we're going to do. How about you, Phebes?"

Phoebe laughed. "We going to this nice Chinese restaurant."

Lila raised an eyebrow. "How is that funny?"

Helga chimed in, "Have you ever seen Tall Hair Boy eat Chinese food?"

"He doesn't know how to use chopsticks," Phoebe explained, "Whenever we go out to eat that kind of food, he has to stab the entrée to eat it."

Stella gurgled with laughter and the others laughed in response, Helga letting Stella wrap her fists around her fingers.

"Whoa," Brainy whistled, as he shook his coat to dislodge the snow that had fallen beneath his collar and brushed ice out of his hair, "Those kids have some arm."

Gerald simultaneously laughed and grimaced. "Yeah, I almost feel sorry for the other teams that they tackle." He looked around. "Where'd the girls go?"

"Probably took cover," Arnold answer, also peering around the park. His eyes lit up as he saw the swingset. "There they are."

"Man, I'm starving." Gerald said, rubbing his stomach. "Is it time for lunch?"

Brainy shrugged. "I hope so – let's check up with them."

"Right. But before we do that," Gerald turned so that he was blocking Brainy's path and gave him a level look, "We need some answers from you."

"Like what?"

Arnold laughed, "Like how things are going with Lila. We've been getting grilled by Phoebe and Helga for months."

Brainy flushed a dark red and scratched the back of his neck. "They're going fine."

"Meaning?" Gerald asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Meaning that they're fine," Brainy said, "And that we're really happy together. I just hope that – " he stopped and caught himself.

The other two leaned in slightly. "Then what, Brainy?" Arnold asked.

Brainy tentatively opened his mouth, but was saved by the appearance of the three women and Stella. He shut his mouth, looking relieved, but Arnold and Gerald looked slightly irritated.

Helga arched an eyebrow, "What's going on?"

"Nothing," the men said in suspicious unison.

The others decided to let it go. "We thought we'd go ahead and have lunch, if you're ready, before Stella gets tired." Phoebe said.

"Sounds good, _kirei_," Gerald looked around, frowning slightly. "I don't see any place to have it, though."

Lila spoke up. "I have an idea…"

···

"Wow," Helga breathed, holding Stella close to her to keep the baby warm but making sure she could see everything around them. Lila had taken them to a spot around the lake, which had a thin layer of ice over the water which trapped fall leaves and pine needles in its frozen embrace. The sun shone bright and cold overhead and its rays set the ice sparkling and the snow untouched by parkgoers glowing. The spot that Lila had taken them was shrouded by weeping willows; they could hear the kids laughing and playing but not see them, and they were shielded from the wind.

"This is a nice spot, Lila," Arnold commented, "I'm surprised we never found it."

"I found it pretty soon after I moved here," Lila replied, folding her arms behind her back, "it was a good place to go when I needed to be alone or just to think."

Phoebe clapped her hands together. "This will be a great place for lunch. Let's go ahead and get it."

"Oh no, you don't, _kirei_," Gerald said, stooping and kissing her on the forehead, "We'll go get it – you ladies just chill out here and wait."

Lila was shivering slightly and laughed. "Don't remind me."

Brainy, noticing her shivers, pulled off his coat and draped it over her. As she pulled the coat closed, she smiled and brushed a grateful kiss against his cheek. "Thank you."

The guys made their determined trek back to the car and unloaded a cooler and the picnic basket. Gerald quickly slung the basket over his shoulder and took off striding toward Lila's spot. Brainy and Arnold watched him go and smirked at each other before each taking a corner of the cooler and lifting it. "Our pal couldn't possibly have an ulterior motive for grabbing the basket, could he?" Brainy huffed.

"You mean, grabbing the lighter load, or being closer to the food he likes best?" Arnold added, "Surely not."

As the two laughed and panted as they walked forward, Arnold didn't add in the third ulterior motive – that if Brainy had something to spill about Lila, he would be more likely to divulge it to Arnold than in any other situation. And he didn't have long to wait.

Brainy had gone uncharacteristically quiet for a few minutes, and Arnold was about to ask him what was wrong, when Brainy cleared his throat nervously. "Can I…can I pick your brain on something?"

"Sure. What is it?"

Both men placed the cooler on the icy ground and sat down upon it. Brainy cleared his throat again, attempted to adjust his glasses, without success as they had been replaced with contacts since Helga had broken the camel's back with one ill-timed, nervous punch in high school, and took a deep breath. He fumbled in his coat pocket and brought out his hand which was concealing something. "You know how you asked how things were going with Lila, and I said good?" He opened his hand to show the small hinged box on his palm and Arnold's eyes widened in realization. "Actually, they're doing great. I'm…going to ask her to marry me."

Arnold's grin broadened and he thumped Brainy on the back. "I wondered what was up! Brainy, that's great!"

Brainy relaxed slightly, and opened the box. It was a slender gold band with an emerald in the center. "Do you think she'll like it?"

"Of course." Arnold tilted his head. "But why an emerald?"

Brainy flushed deeply and rubbed the back of his neck. "Um, her eyes…"

"And Helga thinks I'm a romantic!" Arnold chuckled.

"I know that I want to marry her, I just don't know when to ask – when the right time would be," Brainy groaned, and then looked at Arnold expectantly.

Arnold held up his hands. "Hey, don't look at me – this is your proposal."

Stuffing the box securely back into his pocket, Brainy sighed. "Where's Arnold, the problem-solver?"

Arnold laughed and stood up. "All I can say is that you'll know the right time – and you should know what her answer will be."

And with that, they both grabbed the cooler and walked over to the others.

···

"Someone's sleepy," Lila cooed, gently tickling Stella's chin as she sat on the living room couch with Helga, Stella dozing off in a bassinet between them. Lila yawned, "And I'm feeling a bit tired myself." She picked up one of the steaming mugs of hot tea and took an appreciative sip.

"Man, we look like two old ladies," Helga smirked, picking up her own mug and taking a fortifying gulp, "sitting around and driving tea. What happened to hot chocolate?"

Soon after they had returned to the boarding house, Gerald and Phoebe had left for their home, since Phoebe had surgery to perform early the next morning and wanted to get plenty of rest. The other four had spent time catching up with each other; despite being only an hour apart, their lives were too busy to see each other much. They'd sat and talked until the room grew dark with the setting sun and the guys had been sent out, once again, to forage for food.

Lila put down her mug and looked at Helga. "I just finished your last book. It was great."

"Thanks."

"You really have a wonderful talent for writing, Helga." Lila said, "Why'd you hide it in school?"

Helga shrugged. "I don't know – seemed like a good idea at the time." She laughed, "But you weren't surprised when I told everyone, just like you weren't surprised about my crush on Arnold. You could see everything."

Lila smiled weakly, "Not everything…" She paused in though. "I couldn't see things turning out exactly the way they have, but I'm glad that they have. Arnold's quite a guy."

Helga winced slightly, remembering all the pranks she used to pull on Lila when she thought of her as a rival in the game for Arnold. "I was real rough on you back then. Sorry about that."

Lila brightened. "That's okay – bygones, and all that. Besides, I have my own great guy. I've loved him a long time, and now I know he loves me, too."

Helga grunted. "Now I only he'd propose…" She shot a glance at Lila. "I could always threaten him with the old backhand."

Lila burst into laughter, although she quickly tried to stifle the sound to keep from waking the baby. "Oh, I'd like him too, but I can wait. I mean," she gestured vaguely with her hands, "I've waited a long time. And for a lot of that time, I didn't know if he'd ever stop loving you-" As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized what she'd accidentally let slip and slammed her hands against her mouth as though to stop the hearing of it.

That wasn't the case. Helga's mouth fell open slightly. "He was…in love…with me?" Helga shut her mouth and leaned back. _That actually explains a lot._

"Lila?" A stricken voice said from the kitchen and both women turned to see a very mortified Brainy in the doorway. "You told her? But you promised…"

But Lila didn't hear the rest of his sentence, because she had torn past him and Arnold and into the street below.

* * *

A/N: Oops. Drama. No bien...

Who knows where the lyrics of Grandma and Arnold's song come from, episode-wise?

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! Please review! They make me happy!


	3. All's Well that Ends Well

Greetings Readers! Here's the final chapter of Life and Love and I hope that you enjoy it! Thanks to those who have favorited and alerted this story.

A special thanks to those who reviewed:  
**loonytunecrazy:** Thanks very much! Puns for the win! lol And yes, to the list.  
**buglegirl1899:** Merci, I hope that you enjoy this!  
**angie93:** Thanks for reviewing! As for your guesses, read on to see if they're right!  
**ASHtheMUSICALgirl13: **Thanks very much, here's the conclusion!  
**acosta perez jose ramiro:** Grazie! Yep, that's where they are from. I hope you like this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold! or any of its characters.

* * *

Upon seeing the distress on Lila's face, Arnold put down the food he'd brought down and ran down the stairs after her, since Brainy had remained frozen in shock where he was standing. Unfortunately, Arnold had forgotten that Lila had run track in high school and college and so was long gone by the time Arnold had made it to the front door. Panting slightly, he walked back up the stairs and into their set of rooms in the boarding house and shook his head at Helga's inquiring look. Upon seeing him shake his head, Helga sighed and then leveled a piercing glare at Brainy who was slowly beginning to thaw out of his shock.

"Brainy…" Helga's voice sounded upset, and Brainy flinched.

"I'm sorry," he said weakly, "I never wanted you to know about that. Are you mad?"

Helga got up, holding Stella in her arms. "Arnold," she said in a restrained voice, "could you please take Stella out for a moment?"

Arnold walked over and took the baby from Helga and walked out of the room, simply shrugging at Brainy's appeal for clarification and smiling at the baby. "Something tells me your mama is about get a little…physical, Stella. I don't think it's such a bad thing that she's strong like that, but she'd rather keep you away from violence as much as she can." He smiled as the infant nestled into his chest and fell asleep. "I guess mother knows best."

Brainy had barely any time to turn towards Helga before he was slammed against the wall, pinned by his wrists. Helga's eyes were flaming. "What is the matter with you?"

"So, you're mad?" He groaned.

"Forget mad, I'm furious.!"

"I'm sorry. I never meant for you to find o-"

"Not about that!" She yelled, "And if you apologize to anyone, it should be Lila! How could you do that to her?"

Brainy was puzzled. "Lila? But," he looked around, "she's still here, isn't she?"

"No, you idiot, didn't you see her run out?" Helga groaned. "She looked heartbroken."

Brainy's shoulders sagged and his eyes widened. "She…she's gone? But why did she-"

Helga let go of his wrists and folded her arms. "Oh, I don't know – maybe because you yelled at her? Looked upset with her? You sure didn't try to stop her!"

Brainy blinked. "But I wasn't upset with her – I was just embarrassed that you found out about my previous thing for you."

"Do you love her?" Helga asked, her voice much softer.

"Of course I do!" Now he sounded affronted. "More than anything! You know that."

Helga sighed and leaned against the wall. "Yes, I do, but I'm not sure she does."

"You mean – oh, no." Brainy covered his forehead and eyes with a hand, "She saw that, and she thought –" He cut herself off. "Where is she now?"

"I don't know," Helga replied, "Arnold ran after her, though."

"And I didn't see where she went," Arnold added as he walked in with the sleeping Stella, "I didn't get downstairs fast enough."

Brainy dropped onto the couch, dropping his head into his hands. "What have I done?" He looked up. "I have to find her."

"But we don't know where she is." Arnold reminded him.

Brainy stood up, a determined look in his eyes. "I have an idea."

···

Lila curled up on the large boulder she was sitting on, folding her knees against her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She flinched at the cold teardrops hit her sleeves and soaked through to her skin. Through her red-rimmed eyes she saw the dark spots on the shirt and wished that she had remembered her coat when she'd run out.

Then again, she felt incredibly childish for running out like she did in the first place. She just couldn't stand being in the same room after what she'd done, not wanted to see the shock and anger in his face knowing that she'd caused it. Why'd she do it? Why couldn't she have kept her mouth shut? She buried her face in her folded arms, shivering.

Brainy had sprinted all the way from the boarding house, not even taking the time to get in the car and turn on the engine. As he sagged against one of the willows, his heart felt like it was about to burst, both from exertion and the relief that he'd been right and knew where she was. Then his heart melted when she realized that she was not only shivering but shaking with silent tears, and guilt filled him. He wasn't sure how he could fix this, but he knew where to start. He unbuttoned his coat, took it off, and draped it over her shoulders.

Lila jumped at the sudden weight and warmth and quickly turned to see Brainy smiling at her. She leapt off the rock and tried to hand him back his coat but he held out a hand to stop her. She held it tightly for comfort. "I am so, so sorry. I didn't mean to tell her, but it just slipped out."

He put a hand on her shoulder until she looked at him with her tear-rimmed gaze. "I know. It's okay."

"You're not mad?"

"How could I be mad at you?" He pulled her into his arms, and she rested her head on his shoulder. "I love you." He kissed the top of her head. "I could never stay mad at you"

Lila laughed and hiccupped, wiping her arms. "I feel stupid for leaving now."

"Not as I stupid as I was for letting you leave." Brainy said, and then was struck with an idea. "But now I'm glad that we're both out here."

Lila laughed, "We were out here earlier today."

"But not alone." Brainy's voice was suddenly very serious, and he cleared his throat nervously.

Lila's eyes became worried, "What is it?"

"Please, sit down," Brainy waited until she'd done so and then continued, "You are the best person I've ever known, Lila, and every day I thank God that you love me. I should have done this ages ago, but I could never find the name."

Lila's breath caught in her throat as he kneeled in front of her, she didn't notice his hand sneak into the pocket of the coat she was wearing and out again.

Brainy took a deep breath and pulled the box into view. "Lila, would you do me the honor of marrying me?"

There was an agonizing moment of silence and then Lila jumped into his arms so quickly that the coat fell off her shoulders to lay forgotten on the rock. Brainy let out a surprised wheeze as he hit the ground on his back but then Lila was on top of him kissing him, and he figured he could willingly without oxygen for a while.

She pulled up and sat beside them, flushed with excitement and embarrassment at being so forward. As she brushed a lock of hair out of her face, he sat up and grinned dazedly. "Is that a yes?"

"Of course it is! Oh, I wondered if you'd ever ask!"

Brainy pulled her into a tight hug. "I just wanted to wait for the right moment, I guess."

She looked up at him. "Was it the right moment?"

"You said yes, that's all that matters." He gently took her hand and slid the engagement ring on it. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She whispered and leaned her head against his chest. They sat among the melting snow for awhile and then Lila grinned slyly up at him. "You knew what this means, don't you?"

Brainy raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Well," Lila drawled teasingly, "we're going to get married in a nice ceremony with all our friends present." Brainy nodded, uncomprehending. She smirked, "That means everyone's going to find out that your name is – hmph!"

Brainy stopped her from finishing her sentence, but she simply smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him back.

···

"You sure that you two don't want to be alone tonight?" Arnold asked Lila and Brainy, who were sitting together at the kitchen table, as he straightened his tie. "I mean, you just got engaged and it's Valentine's Day."

"We're fine, Arnold," Brainy said, holding Lila close as she blushed down at the emerald ring on her finger, "we don't mind watching Stella, and she's about to go to sleep anyway."

"If you're sure…"

"We are," Lila smiled, "Consider it a thank-you for letting us stay with you. My dad really didn't have any room."

Arnold smiled. "Okay. Thank you."

"I think we're ready to go," Helga's voice came from the bedroom, and as Arnold turned, his mouth fell open. Helga had twisted her hair into an elegant bun with strands framing her face, and red stones glittered in her ears. She wore a simple but beautiful red sleeveless dress and Stella was cradled snugly in her arms. Lila smirked at Arnold's stunned face and blushed at Brainy's equally admiring gaze on herself. "But you should kiss your daughter good night first."

Arnold shut his mouth and took Stella from his wife's arms. "Good night, little one," he said, kissing the little girl's forehead as he fell asleep. He carried the baby back to their bedroom and laid her in the crib. As he left the room, he heard Helga thanking them for working Stella.

"It's fine, Helga," Lila assured her, "besides we'll be alone this way anyway. We'll order some food, relax, watch a movie…"

"Fine," Helga said, "just don't do anything that'll scar my daughter for life, please."

Brainy smirked, "But she's asleep…"

Helga punched him in the shoulder just as a red-faced Lila hit him on the other. "Ow! Hey, I was kidding."

"Idiot." Helga laughed, "Well, we're off then. Give us a call if you need anything."

"See you later," Arnold said as the two closed the front door behind them. Brainy smirked and was moving in to kiss his fiancé when a pizza take-out menu was placed between them. He kissed the paper instead and shot a playful glare at Lila, who was laughing.

"First food, then kissing."

Brainy sighed and picked up the phone.

···

Helga had no idea where Arnold had in mind for their date, but she managed to keep enviably silent as they drove towards a French restaurant and pulled in the parking lot. He nodded to the hostess as they entered and she smiled and nudged a nearby waitress to pay attention. The waitress grabbed their menus and walked them past all the chattering customers and booths rich with the smell of fresh bread and wine to a small, pleasant room near the back. When both had been seated, the waitress placed the menus on the table and left after taking their drink orders.

Helga raised an eyebrow at Arnold as he bent down and picked up something from underneath the table. When he placed the object on the table, Helga saw that it was a strangely familiar-looking candle, and as he lit it a memory stirred. She gasped.

He grinned at her. "It's just like our first Valentine's date, isn't it?"

Helga reached out a hand and tentatively grazed it against the warm, flickering glass bowl. "But how did you get it?"

"Well, before they tore the restaurant down I was helping the owners to move out." Arnold said, "When I noticed the candle, the chef remembered when we'd come there before and offered to let me take it, so I did."

It had been only a few weeks after the two had started dating in high school that Arnold had made the connection between Helga and Cecile. The two had been on a picnic and Helga's hair had come free of its customary ponytail and swung down her back and over her face. Once the hair had obscured half of her face, Arnold had been taken aback and asked her if she was Cecile. Nervously, she admitted it, and he'd burst out laughing, surprised that he hadn't been able to make the connection. They'd had several more romantic dates at the same restaurant, becoming familiar to the chefs and waiters, but a few years after they'd started college the restaurant had been bought out by a fast-food chain and their chances to go there were gone.

"You're definitely a romantic, Arnold," Helga laughed and she covered his hand with hers.

"You know, if we are really wanted to make this like our first date," Arnold said as he swallowed a bite of soufflé, "we should have eaten cervelle de veu rather than coq au vin."

Helga rolled her eyes. "That first date was good, Arnold, but if you think I'm eating cow brains again for the sake of reliving it, you're crazy."

"Can't blame me for trying," he smirked.

"Sure, I can't." Helga drawled.

Arnold walked over to a small cabinet in the room and opened it. He brought out two presents and laid them on the table. He sat down and smiled at Helga who was shuffling around in her purse. "Go on, open them."

"Hold on," Helga placed a red package on the table. "You open yours first."

Arnold picked up the package and slowly unwrapped it. "It's a book."

"Open it," Helga prodded.

Arnold opened the book and smiled. It was an album full of pictures of him, of her and him, and of them with the baby. Each were meticulously labeled, with captions underneath full of Helga's gifted wording and humor. "Thanks, I love it." He folded his arms. "Now you open yours."

Helga pulled off the paper to see a beautifully engraved book, which, when she opened it, saw that it contained dozens of poems hand-written into the pages. She recognized several of her professed favorites along with others that she mentioned wanting to read when she had more time. "Thank you." Arnold picked up her hand and kissed it, and she picked up the other gift. She frowned curiously at it. "A CD?"

Arnold plucked the case from her hand and walked back over to the cabinet. He opened it to show a small stereo and slipped the disk inside. As it began playing, smooth, sultry jazz music flowed out of the speakers, and Helga smiled. "Of course, it's jazz."

Arnold held out his hand. "May I have this dance?"

She stood up and twined her arms around his neck as he pulled her to him. Together they danced in the solitude and smooth music, whispering to each other beneath the calls of the trombone and cello.

When the waitress came in ten minutes later to give them the check, she opened the door and walked in only for her face to flush bright red. The two customers were swaying gently in each other's arms, kissing each other in a sweet, passionate embrace. Smiling at the love between them, she quickly placed the check on the door and quietly slipped out.

···

Later, the two were sitting up in bed, lit by the bedside lamps as they looked over the album, Stella sleeping quietly in the cradle beside the bed. They'd sent Brainy and Lila off to enjoy their own Valentine's Day, and the two had gone off to the park where they'd been gone for a while.

"Sometimes you scare me, Arnold," Helga said as Arnold kissed her on the cheek.

"How's that?" He asked.

She gestured to the vase brimming with red roses on the bedside table, sandwiched between the lamp and a box of chocolates. "How on earth did you get all that in here without me knowing about it?"

He shrugged and kissed her nose. "I have connections."

"Really," she arched an eyebrow. She looked back down at the album open in her lap and smiled, tracing the lines of picture Arnold's face as he smiled down at a giggling picture Stella. "Isn't she beautiful?"

"Yes, she is – like her mom."

Helga playfully shoved him and he took the opportunity to pick up the book. He looked contentedly at the pictures. "I remember how happy I was when you told me Stella was coming – I almost fainted."

"You did faint." Helga laughed. "In front of all our friends, if I remember correctly."

"Ouch, must you remind me?"

"Would you bet that happy again if we…had more?"

"I would be ecstatic," Arnold said, and then looked at her, "but only if you wanted more children too."

"Of course I do," Helga smiled, "I'd like a little you, but," she added with a glare, "for your sake he'd better not have your head until after he's born. Otherwise, when it's time for him to come into this world he might be hearing a lot more colorful language than I'd like him to hear."

Arnold laughed and pushed the book away, pulling Helga into his arms and kissing her deeply. He kissed the bridge of her nose, the space between her nose and her lips, and then drew her into a long, sensual kiss. She'd wrapped her arms and pulled herself tighter against him to properly respond when…

The baby started turning fretfully in her cradle, and Arnold released Helga with a sigh. "Maybe she'd be more comfortable in her crib."

Helga nodded and scooped Stella up. Both parents walked into the baby's room and watched her face smooth into a peaceful smile as she fell asleep in her crib. Arnold tightened an arm around Helga as they looked down at her, at their miracle. Helga pulled away after brushing a soothing hand against the baby's face. Arnold looked at his little girl a little longer before leaving himself and closing the door.

"Hey Arnold…" Helga's voice came quietly from the bedroom, and Arnold walked in. Helga was sitting on the bed with an expression that made his blood pressure rise extensively, and he had to take a deep breath. She smirked. "Aren't you coming to bed?"

He closed the door and turned off the light, and that was all we need to know about that.

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A/N: That's the end! I'm so glad I actually finished this on Valentine's Day! Sweet! I hope you enjoyed it!

Thanks for reading and please review! They make me happy!

Happy Valentine's Day!


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